The Independent-News, Volume 117, Number 50, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 7 May 1992 — Page 9

WILLY Sorry About The Mix Up NEXT TIME SEND ME A DUPLICATE Love Ya, MARY Congratulations TO ALL OF THE SCOUTS IN THE 1992 PACK 241 PINEWOOD DERBY MATT ALSPAUGH FRANK ANDERT PATRICK CRONE PHILIP CRONE DAVID MALKOWSKI ANDY MORRIS BILL NELSON ADAM ROSANDER DAVID ROSANDER CLIFF SLATER JOSH SNYDER YOU ARE ALL GREAT! Happiness Is JOHN GLENN CITIZENS FOR FAMILY VALUES AT THE NORTH LIBERTY CHURCH OF CHRIST May 14 7:00 p.m. TOPIC: SEX EDUCATION FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 656-8761 OR 656-4632 WALKERTON TOWN BOARD NEWS The Walkerton Town Council met at 7:00 p.m. on April 20, 1992 with the following members present: Gene Reese, Gordon Hartsell, Cheryl Rizek, Walter Heil and Leonard Jaske. Attorney David Holmes and clerk-treasurer Judy Hiler were also present. The minutes were approved as read. There were two bids from construction companies for installing new residential sidewalks. Bau Construction Company, North Judson, bid $.lO a foot to remove old sidewalk or excess dirt, and SI .35 a foot for paving. A sidewalk 4’ in width would equal $5.80 a linear foot, and a sidewalk 5’ in width would be equal to $7.25 a linear foot. Pyramid Excavation & Construction, Bremen, bid $7.75 a linear foot for 4’ wide, and $9.68 a linear foot for 5’ wide sidewalks. Len Jaske made the motion to accept Bau Construction's bid of $5.80 per linear foot for 4’ sidewalks, and $7.25 per linear foot for 6' sidewalks. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Fire chief Jeff Baker had made up a ledger of 1991 and 1992 receipts and expenditures, which was reviewed by the Council. Baker was asked to bring the Fire Department’s savings passbook and checking account statements for the last 15 months, to the next meeting. No decision was made concerning a yard torn up during a fire call, to a neighboring residence. Baker said that he had talked to Jollie Back and Back is going to do that repair work.

MONTHLY REPORTS Jeff Zehner reported that construction of the new sewer line to the industrial park has been completed, except for some reseeding and paving. The industries can not hook up to the new line until it is accepted by the Town. Holmes advised that the Council can authorize the president to execute the documents needed if Zehner, Back and Behr certify that everything has been paid for and the work has been completed. Attorney Holmes advised that after the sewer line has been accepted, the industries need to be notified and given 90 days to hook up to the line. Zehner told the Council that taps were put in at two homes in the Industrial park, in the event that hook ups will be needed at some future date. Zehner said that one of the residents is interested in hooking up to the sewer line and the other does not want to. There was some discussion about charging a sewer tap fee since the home owners did not contribute anything toward the construction of the line. Attorney Holmes questioned if those who live outside the city limits should pay the same sewer rates as the taxpayers who live in the city limits. Len Jaske made the motion to table a decision in order to give the Council more time to consider these matters. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Gene Reese made the motion to allow president Rizek, on behalf of the Council, to accept the new sewer line. After the lines have been accepted, the industries will then be given 90 days to hook up. Seconded by Jaske. Carried. Zehner said that he has only had one call about the blowers that we have for sale, and that was from an engineering firm who is going to see if they can find someone who might need them. Zehner showed the Council a landscaping design and quote that he had gotten for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Council decided that the landscaping will be done over a two or three year time period, and asked Zehner to get some additional quotes for this year’s portion. The V act or truck has been reconditioned and Zehner will bring it to the next meeting in order for the Council to see the improvements. CITIZENS ’ INPUT: Roman Brehm reported that the Chamber of Commerce’s annual sidewalk clean up, by local retail merchants, will be April 25 at 6:00 a.m. Nancy Stickley and Terri Mastrelli told the Council how dangerous the curve, where Illinois Street and Ohio Street intersect, has become. Mastrilli said that in the past week, there have been three cars that have ended up in her yard. Stickley and Mastrilli requested stop signs for this curve/ intersection. Rizek asked police chief Gassensmith to look into this problem and make a recommendation. Gassensmith said that he has already looked into it, and he does recommend that stop signs be put in at this intersection. Discussion also included the fact that there are no sidewalks in this area and children walk to and from school at the edge of these streets. Len Jaske made the motion to install a stop sign on both sides of the curve. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Janice Palkovich, Celebrity Motors, asked when a street light is going to be replaced at their place of business. Palkovich said that the light has been down for a couple of years, and Jollie Back had said that it would be replaced this spring. Back replied that it will probably be replaced within the next two weeks. Police chief Gassensmith reported on several police matters. Gassensmith said that we have a great many pit bulls and other potentially dangerous dogs in town. Gassensmith asked the Council to consider adopting a pit bull ordinance which would require the owner to have

$500,000.00 worth of insurance, a special license and a special enclosure for the dogs. Rizek asked if we have a real problem in Walkerton, with pit bulls. Gassensmith answered that yes we do, and in addition to the pit bulls, there are a lot of other dogs running around loose. The Humane Society will only pick up dogs if they’ve been caught and held for them. Our police are having a difficult time catching the dogs, and Gassensmith said that they haven’t been able to use the tranquilizer gun in some rime. Attorney Holmes said that we can ask the Humane Society to train or certify some of our officers in using the tranquilizer gun, so that we can incapacitate the dogs long enough to be picked up. Holmes is going to prepare a pit bull ordinance for the clerk to publish in the paper, so that we can tell how the public feels about such an ordinance. Gassensmith said that they have recently cleared up 11 entries and thefts to homes and cars. All of which were done by youths whose ages range between 12 and 18. We currently use the State curfew law, but Gassensmith would like to see earlier curfew hours set for Walkerton. He would also cite the parents and hold them responsible after one warning has been given. Attorney Holmes is going to prepare an ordinance. Gassensmith had asked the three gas stations in town for gasoline quotes for town vehicles. Jack’s Service Station will give us 3 cents off the pump price, and mentioned that they are a full service station. Welco said that they have competitive prices and try to be the lowest in town. There was no quote from Larry’s Quick Mart. Discussion included the fact that Welco is open 24 hours a day and Jack’s is full service. With three cents off at Jack’s, it would bring the cost of their gas in line with Welco’s. Holmes said that we can accept both proposals and we can go to the one that’s open, and cheapest at the time. Holmes added that a penny’s difference in price isn’t going to make that much of a difference. After discussing various methods of buying gasoline, the Council decided to table a decision until the next meeting. Gassensmith asked for permission to hire Melissa Hawley, a John Glenn student, as a stand-by dispatcher. Hawley is 18 years of age and her background check was okay. Gassensmith also asked if it’s okay to pay her during her training. Len Jaske made the motion to hire Hawley and pay her during her training. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Gassensmith brought up the matter of holiday pay for police officers. The Employees Manual says that "since police are not paid for holidays, compensation will be given at time and a half the hours worked in accumulated time’’. Gassensmith said that right after the handbook came out, it was brought up that it wasn’t fair to the police because other town employees got the day off plus pay, when the holiday fell on a week day. At that time the Council agreed to give officers eight hours of accumulated time, if they did not work on the holiday, and 12 hours accumulated time plus eight hours pay if they did work on the holiday. While reviewing job classifications and town policy, hours and pay were reviewed by the Council. Attorney Holmes thinks that the Employee Manual clearly contemplates that police do not get paid for holidays. He added that he doesn’t see anywhere that it says police get paid for holidays, and doesn’t find that to be unusual. It’s the nature of the job that they work Saturdays, Sundays ^nd holidays. It was decided that the clerk should call South Bend, Mishawaka and the State Police to see how they pay their officers for holidays. It also was decided to pay the Good Friday holiday as we have done in the past. Gene Reese asked chief Gassen-

MAY 7, 1992 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS -

smith if the open container law, which was recently passed by the County, affects us. Attorney Holmes answered that it depends on whether or not it applies to unincorporated areas. Gassensmith is going to get a copy of the county ordinance to see how it reads. OLD BUSINESS: The Council reviewed the contract for the town attorney, said that the only difference in this year’s contract is that the hourly rate was increased by SIO.OO. Len Jaske made the motion to accept the contract, but keep the hourly rate at $75.00 an hour until it can be reconsidered at budget time. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Cheryl Rizek recommended that Bruce Wharton be appointed to the Redevelopment Commission, to fill the vacancy left by John McGee. Rizek said that Wharton had been appointed to the Redevelopment Commission at the beginning, but had withdrawn when it was found that too many people had been appointed. Gordon Hartsell made the motion to appoint Wharton. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. The Council asked that Jim Schmidt, Indiana Department of Transportation, be invited to the next council meeting to discuss the traffic signals. Len Jaske made the motion to do the second and third readings of Ordinance No. 1992-02, an Ordinance to Re-establish A Cumulative Capital Development Fund, in short form. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Len Jaske made the motion to accept the second reading. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Gordon Hartsell made the motion to accept the third reading. Seconded by Len Jaske. Carried. The clerk reported that the SIO,OOO certificate of deposit for the Darrell Eddinger Memorial Fund was renewed at Farmers State Bank for 90 days at an interest rate of 4.08%. Ist Source Bank quoted 3.9% for 90 days. One-hundred twenty-five dollars and 90 cents was earned on the 90 day CD that just matured. The Indiana Department of Transportation has suggested that the town council install a stop sign at the Adams Street railroad crossing. Attorney Holmes said that our insurance company disapproved, the last time we attempted to put a stop sign at the crossing. Holmes said that the Council can go ahead and authorize the placement of the sign, subject to our insurance company's approval. Holmes will check with the insurance company and then get back to Jollie Back. Len Jaske made the motion to install the stop sign at the Adams Street crossing, subject to approval by our insurance company. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Holmes had drafted a resolution concerning the American With Disabilities Act for the Council’s review. The resolution will be acted on at the May 4, 1992 Town Council meeting. Holmes strongly recommended that the Council give serious consideration to Terry Baugher’s water mapping proposal. He said that any future studies would benefit from the mapping, and added that nothing like this has ever been done in Walkerton. As it stands, Dave Bolze is to talk to Terry Baugher and then bring a recommendation back to the Council. Walt Heil reported that Shawn McCrum has a goat on his property. Chief Gassensmith is to cite McCrum for having the goat in town. The Council also asked attorney Holmes to file suit against McCrum to get the dirt removed from his sidewalk. Cheryl Rizek said that she had received a complaint about the Creech property on the corner of Michigan and Jackson Streets. Residents have complained that trash from the Creech property has been blowing over into their yards.

Len Jaske made the motion to notify Mr. Creech to have the property cleaned up within 30 days. Seconded by Gene Reese. Carried. Gordon Hartsell said that he has received another complaint about the hole and dirt pile on the Jimerson property on Ohio Street. Chief Gassensmith is going to talk to Jimerson. NEW BUSINESS: President Rizek signed the grant agreements for the sewer line that adjoins the new lines in the industrial park. Superintendent Back said that the Electric Advisory Board has recommended purchasing power factor meters. Back would like to buy three or four of these meters at a cost of approximately $900.00 each. Money has been budgeted for the meters. Len Jaske made the motion to purchase as many as needed. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Back asked for the Council's permission to hire Aaron Cripe as parttime summer help. Gene Reese made the motion to do so. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Gene Reese made to accept claims 385 through 428 for $135,872.39 and payroll docket dated 4-15-92 for $19,133.31. Seconded by Len Jaske. Carried. Gene Reese made the motion to adjourn. Seconded by Gordon Hartsell. Carried. Woman’s Club Holds Convention The General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Indiana Federation of Clubs held their 102nd Convention on April 26 - 28 at the Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis with over 200 members attending. Barbara Simpson, president of the GFWC Walkerton Woman’s Community Club, and Nadine Keiper, District Publicity Chairman, attended. The convention began with some revisions of the by-laws and the session was conducted by Helen Rose, the outgoing IFC president. Yearly reports of chairmen were given and candidates to be installed were introduced. Many awards were presented for the accomplishments of the various Indiana clubs. Alice Walker, of the Walkerton Club, was acknowledged for her poem, "Friendship", which ran fifth in the state competition. Evelyn Ferguson, a former Koontz Lake member, was commended for her monetary gift to the Second Century Endowment Fund, specified in her will. Two nurses from Riley Children’s Hospital were present to thank the clubs for their generosity and they took away with them many gifts of stuffed animals, games, dolls and other toys. A session on conversation stressed the three R's of recycling, reduce and recycle. The clubwomen reported 242 trees planted and 17,185 hours spent in recycling. Sandy Petro, author and Seminarian, spoke at Inspirational Breakfast on Tuesday morning. Plans were discussed for the International GFWC convention in June. This will be the first time Indiana has hosted the International Convention. Delegates from China, Japan, Aruba, Brazil and Jamaica have made reservations. Art and Music winners of the GFWC schoiarshios were Brian Talbert, of Spencerville, for his artwork and Michael Jacquesley, of Fort Wayne, the music scholarship winner. Installation of officers was held with Mary Pqwiawski as the new IFC president, Kay Ross as recording secretary, and Barbara Conway as treasurer. Joan Warner was installed as first vice president, Judy Denniston of Plymouth as second vice president, Doris Cook as corresponding secretary and Kim Steinert as Director of the Junior Clubs. Reservations for the June 8-11 International 101st Annual Convention must be made prior to May 13th.

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